Pink Floyd’s ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ Inspires New Radio Play

A new radio play inspired by Pink Floyd's landmark 1973 album 'The Dark Side of the Moon' will air on BBC2 on Monday (Aug. 26) at 10PM GMT. An animated three-minute teaser clip from the production, created by Aardman Studios is embedded above.

The play, called 'Dark Side,' was written by acclaimed British playwright Sir Tom Stoppard in honor of the album's 40th anniversary. "I used a lot of the album, well all of it other than the lyrics, as a kind of underscore," he told the BBC. "I was picking up emotional cues from the music."

Described as a "philosophical comedy," 'Dark Side' is also influenced by the plight of original Floyd frontman Syd Barrett, who left the band in 1968 due to mental illness. One of the characters in the play is named Emily, presumably a nod to Barrett's 'See Emily Play," the group's second single.

Back in March, Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour gave the project his seal of approval. "I have read the script of Tom’s radio play 'Dark Side' and found it fascinating," he told the BBC at the time. "I can't wait to hear it come to life with the great cast performing it and our music woven into it. I can't think of a better way to celebrate 'The Dark Side Of The Moon's' 40 year anniversary."

Stoppard won an Academy Award in 1999 for his screenplay of 'Shakespeare in Love.'